Undergraduate Studies

What is American Studies?

Established in 1945, Maryland’s undergraduate program in American Studies is one of the nation’s oldest and best regarded. Originally conceived as a cooperative venture combining Sociology, Government, U. S. History, and American Literature, American Studies continues to be an interdisciplinary field that draws widely on the University’s superb resources in the humanities and social sciences as well as the intellectual resources of the Washington, D. C. area.

Two broad themes inform the department’s teaching and research: the social construction of difference and the culture of everyday life. The former speaks to the ways in which affiliations are created and sustained; the latter focuses on patterns of belief and value that give form and meaning to the lived experience of Americans, past and present. Through these emphases, the program aims to help students develop knowledge about American society and culture that is critical, contextual, and informed by a high degree of personal awareness.